Ringin' in the New Year...

I’m baaaack! Okay, so I have to admit that I went on a mini blogging hiatus, but I’ll explain my [valid] reasons for leaving all of you out of the loop. For most of December, I was engaged in what is, was, and ever shall be a law school student’s worst nightmare: Law. School. Finals. Sixteen hours of written essays….bluebook usage like you’ve never seen before….and the greatest part is that I get to experience this twice a school year, three years in a row, just like every other law school student in the world! Sense my sarcasm? Silver lining: I am now officially 1/6th of a lawyer. So, if any of you readers need any legal advice, I am willing to give it at 1/6th the price. :) Joking aside, studying for finals consumed every single minute of about a two-week span, and I came out of them hopefully victorious (finding out grades soon!), but definitely with a couple years of my life taken off. So, what did I do when I went home for Christmas break? Absolutely nothing, and you can bet your pretty penny that I loved every minute of it. I added hours into my sleeping bank and I’m pretty sure I’ve already overdrawn with the beginning of the new semester which started this past week. 

So, Happy New Year, readers, and I hope that 2011 really and truly is your best year yet. I made a firm decision in late December that 2011 is going to be the best year of my twenty-something existence. Ever since I was a young girl, my dad used to suggest that my sister, mother, and I all wrote down 5-10 New Year’s resolutions that we wanted to accomplish or aim for. Even though I don’t technically live at home anymore, I still continue this little tradition, and I actually check in on my progress monthly. In an effort for my readers to get to know me a little better, I want to share some of them with you (but only the not-so-personal ones!) Here goes nothing…

1. Learn What Law School Doesn’t Teach.

• In other words, Bakes, Know Thyself! Law school teaches its students a whole bunch of lawyerly things, but it’s up to me to improve my morale, productivity, retention, quality of work product, creativity, loyalty, and efficiency. All these qualities are and will be beyond crucial in my profession, and while I like to think that I possess a lot of these noble things, there’s always room for improvement. I’ve been quite blessed to have worked in a legal environment for a number of years. My boss, who has become one of my personal role models, always made sure that I realized that law school can only teach you so much…life experience, coupled with the above mentioned, will get me much farther than the average John Doe ‘by the book’ lawyer.

2. Be Selfish Once in a While

• 2010 taught me a lot of things. I need to make more time for me! I find that a good indicator as to whether some self-care is needed is when I begin to feel resentful. This means that I’ve said yes far more times than I should have, that I am making decisions based on feeling guilt, and that I somehow think that I ‘should’ do x or y. I’ve realized that there’s a lot of people out there who don’t have my best interest in mind. Thus, I’ve learned that in order to make sure that I win in this “game of life,” I have to be firm and adamant in my belief that if one doesn’t contribute love, kindness, and reciprocal friendship, then I simply don’t have as much time for such a person. In other words, these types of people can stew in their own juice. :) Happy cooking!

3. Toast Some Bubbly!

• Disclaimer: NO! I’m not suggesting to become a drunkie. However, I am going to celebrate my achievements, friendships, and special moments in my life much more often. I accomplished a great deal in 2010 and overcame boundaries that I wasn’t so sure I could overcome. Between getting my double master’s, becoming proficient in German, working a 60-hour summer work-week, starting law school, witnessing a horrible homicide which left three of my ‘brothers’ dead while I was barely spared….I’ve come to realize that I need to celebrate my life more often. To the never-ending friendships with two very special girls that grew and blossomed in 2010…I toast to you both. To the new, refreshing, and exciting moments in my life with family and loved ones…I toast to all of you. To overcoming obstacles, both great and small…I toast to you!, uh, me! :)

My actual list has eight resolutions, five of which are a bit more personal. While I’d love to share the intimate details of my life with you all, I’m constantly reminded that the Kathy stalkers come a dime a dozen. Ciao!